


Hibernation

by Ihateyouandyourmum



Category: Moominvalley (Cartoon 2019), Mumintroll | Moomins Series - Tove Jansson, 楽しいムーミン一家 | Moomin (Anime 1990)
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Protective snufkin, Sleepy Cuddles, Sleepy moomintroll
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-24
Updated: 2019-06-24
Packaged: 2020-05-18 20:10:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,137
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19341751
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ihateyouandyourmum/pseuds/Ihateyouandyourmum
Summary: Snufkin had agreed to let moomin come on his winter travels with him,However both quickly learn the importance or a moomintrolls yearly hibernation.Maybe even more than snufkins yearly alone time.





	Hibernation

When moomin had asked to spend winter with snufkin, snufkin had been so tempted to say no. It wasnt that he didn't want moomintroll with him, not at all, in fact he probably wanted him there too much, he might have liked alone time but that was nothing compared to time with moomin. No, it was because he was worried about moomin.

Moomintrolls were meant to hibernate, it was normal, _natural_ , and not doing it had the potential to throw moomins health off entirely. Snufkin knew this, yet he had still said yes, not wanting his 'friend', who had sobbed about being lonely after waking up in midwinter last year and realising he couldnt see snufkin for a couple more months at least. If moomin wanted to come snufkin couldnt make excuses to leave his friend to possibly go through that again 

So a few days after being asked he had taken moomin, who blended into the softly fallen snow like an angel, as if he had meant to be in the snow all along, not kept to summer or spring. He watchednthr young moomintroll awe at the new shapes and things he had never got to see when put to sleep for 100 days. And snufkin was happy that he had made the right decision. 

For the first few days.

Snufkin had seen the signs of prehibernation on his friend before, both as children where he had hibernated also, and as they got older when it drew closer for his time to make an exit. So while moomin was desperately trying to hide it, and trust me he was, snufkin could see his friend slowly lose his energetic personality and become very, awfully sleepy within a week. As long as the young moomintroll had able to fend it off for.

It had started with his feet dragging when he walked, unable to keep up with snufkin and having to take breaks. Moomin would try to cover this with his lack of exercise usually, but snufkin had seen the eyerubs and yawns when the troll thought he wasnt looking. Even then, snufkin knew his friend, he might be larger than usually but during the summer months they had walked for hours without so much a complaint from his friend.

Sometimes snufkin would talk and the formerly ever-alert moomin would nod lethargically, not really hearing the words or being able to concentrate on them. Snufkin couldn't get mad at it, in summer he was infamous for doing the same thing sometimes.

It had come to head when moomin had tried to cook, he had fallen asleep while stiring and until snufkin had got involved had almost either ended up face first into a pot of boiling water or poured the entire pot over himself.

if it werent for the fact they were so far from moominvalley at this point snufkin would have taken his friend back as soon as he showed these signs, but they _were_ , and so snufkin needed to find somewhere for his beautiful friend to hibernate, and needed to make moomin admit that he needed to.

At the time snufkin chose to confront him, he was glad he had.

Moomin was hyper, not the good hyper, the over-tired im-holding-off-natural-functions-hyper, or the very-much-loopy hyper that snufkin vary rarely got to see but had heard from moominmama that young moomintrolls did when "very tired indeed". It was the last push before his body would be hurdled into, if not a full hibernation, at least a couple of days of sleep, inevitable even if moomin tried to hold it off. Snufkins warning that he was going to have to set his plan into action immediately 

"Sn-snnnuuffkkkiinn" oh how adorable.

  
"Yes moomin" his voice showed his entertainment, hopefully not too much. Though it was also etched with worry about what he would do with the boy for as long as he was asleep for.

  
"I l-love you, im-m s-so glad I get to see y-uou allllllllllll winter this year" he giggled at the end, sounding like a baby drunk on happiness. Leaning back slightly and narrowly stopped falling by snufkin, who had seen this coming.

"Moomin are you ok?" Of course he knew the answer. Moomin was subconsciously leaning into his warmth as his body temperature dropped, preparing to sleep. His eyelids were dropping, occasionally being pulled back open in his failing battle against sleep. He seemed to find it hard to do much at all, fighting off fatigue at every, even minutely small movement. Exhausted beyond any measure.

Snufkin pulled the troll closer to his chest, letting the boy be enveloped in the somewhat warmth and almost, almost, be subdued into sleeping. If only moomin hadnt figured this out. 

"S-snufkin w-what are you d-doing"

He decided to speak in the softest voice he could muster, only rivaled perhaps by moominmama.

"What's wrong moomintroll, you've been acting strange for the past week."

The young moomintroll tried to look away, breaking eye contact in embarrassment. That he was an adult and couldn't stay awake for a measly 100 days, and that he was ruining and slowing down his friends winter adventures because he was such a big baby.

"I'm s-sorry"

"Moomin you have nothing to be sorry for, but i cant help you if you won't tell me what you need."

His friend turned his head, sighing into snufkins coat in pure exhaustion. "I'm _tired_ "

"Yes"

"I'm m-more tired than I knew I c-could be, and w-we were meant to have a g-good winter and I'm ruining it b-because," he paused, snufkin hummed supportively, not angry at him at all.

"Because?"

"I dont think I can h-hold off my hibernation much..." he yawned, "I dont t-think I can keep myself awake a-anymore at all maybe" with this his eye lids began to droop even more, which snufkin hadnt thought was possible. The admission seemingly making it more real for himself also.

"Can you make it to the tent?"

"I t-think"

So snufkin pulled his friend up (read carried) to the tent a few meters away, laying him down in his own sleeping bag, which was big enough for the two of them, so that he could keep him warm by hugging him, a moomintrolls body temperature dropped drastically during hibernation and without his warm house and layers of winter blankets he was used to, he was afraid moomin could become sick because snufkin had found a place to take his friend for the remaining part of winter.

"I'm s-sorry"

"Moomin, please let yourself sleep, its ok. You're denying yourself something essential, I'll keep you safe I promise"

And with that moomin was asleep, the two boys wrapped around each other as the winter winds breathed past outside.

And snufkin wondered what he was to do for the next few months.


End file.
